Written Assembly Questions tabled on 10 February 2017 for answer on 17 February 2017
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self-identifying question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Further to WAQ71946, will the Cabinet Secretary outline under what conditions the £11.09m was provided to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and how he expects this to be spent? (WAQ72072)
Answer received on 14 February 2017.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): We have made it clear to the health board that we expect them to use this funding to deliver improvements in both planned care, including diagnostic waiting times and unscheduled care by the end of March 2017. Officials will be monitoring the health board’s progress.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What assurances can the Cabinet Secretary provide that the current terms of reference of the ongoing work of HASCAS and Donna Ockenden will not be curtailed by the new Independent Oversight Panel? (WAQ72073)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Have any of the members of the Independent Oversight Panel have ever worked with any of the executive team or board members at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? (WAQ72074)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide details of the remit of the Independent Oversight Panel including any powers it may have to intervene in the ongoing work of HASCAS and Donna Ockenden, the publication of their reports and any findings or recommendations therein? (WAQ72075)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide details of any work which any of the members of the Independent Oversight Panel have ever undertaken for either the Welsh Government or the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? (WAQ72076)
Answer received on 17 February 2017
Vaughan Gething: All parties involved in both the HASCAS investigation and the Donna Ockendon review are keen to ensure that both processes are concluded in a timely way and that the preparation and publication of the final reports are free from any inappropriate influence.
Given that that both processes are now reaching critical stages, I agreed with Donna Ockendon and HASCAS that the oversight arrangements should now be outwith the health board and other local partner agencies until the conclusion of the processes. The overriding purpose of putting the independent panel in place is to provide additional assurance for affected families and stakeholders of the probity of the work.
As part of their role, the panel needs to assure itself of the integrity, methodology and process of both the investigation and governance review. They will be drawing on independent legal and investigatory expertise if and when they consider this necessary. However, their remit is not to interfere or delay the processes underway– on the contrary - it is to ensure the necessary cooperation and engagement of individuals and partner agencies (including appropriate information sharing) to enable the work to be concluded satisfactorily.
The panel will also support and oversee the process of the preparation and publication of the reports to ensure that no party can exert influence which undermines the integrity and independence of the reports. I would also expect the panel to play an important role in promoting any necessary multi-agency response to the respective reports.
Panel members have been chosen for their extensive experience of working in the Welsh public sector and have had no direct involvement with the health board in the past in relation to any of the issues under investigation and review - which of course relate to period prior to December 2013. We are not aware of any conflicts of interest which would undermine the independence of their role on the oversight panel.
As you will be aware from the Ministerial Statements made about the support to BCU under the special measures arrangements, Helen Bennett (an employee of Hafal and a respected mental health practitioner) was appointed for a short period last year to support the work underway to improve mental health services in BCU. At no time was there any contact or involvement with the Ockenden review or HASCAS investigations. Helen has also declared her ongoing work in North Wales as part of her role in Hafal and with the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner on the mental health crisis care concordat.
Given their extensive experience at the most senior level of public life it is inevitable they will have previously worked with Welsh Government at a strategic level, both formally and informally. Some of their previous work is detailed in my letter to the families and this is what makes them very well placed to undertake their role.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): At local authority level, if available, how many people living in North Wales have chronic non-malignant pain? (WAQ72077)
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): How many people living in Wales have chronic non-malignant pain? (WAQ72078)
Answer received on 16 February 2017
Vaughan Gething: We do not hold this information centrally. However, we have published information on adults who had suffered bodily pain in the past four weeks. This information can be accessed at:
We are currently reviewing our service development and commissioning directive for chronic non-malignant pain. This work is expected to be completed next financial year. Work on refreshing the arthritis and chronic musculoskeletal conditions directive is also in the early planning stages.
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): Will the Cabinet Secretary publish details of any CRIA or Equality Impact Assessment that was undertaken to inform the decision to move the funding for the Family Fund in Wales into the Sustainable Social Services grant? (WAQ72079)
Answer received on 22 February 2017
The Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): An equality impact assessment of the decision to align four existing Social Services Grant funding streams with the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 was completed in December 2015. The purpose of the Sustainable Social Services Third Sector Grant is to support Welsh Ministers' priorities of a new and equal relationship between people and practitioners; early intervention and prevention; and transforming the way people's needs for care and support are met. This equality assessment supplements the separate Equality Impact Assessment for the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. http://gov.wales/topics/health/socialcare/act/assessments?lang=en